An influential Kurdish group has presented the first comprehensive draft of a model of "democratic autonomy." The Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which describes itself as a local organization of Kurds in eastern Turkey, presented the draft as a text to be debated, saying adoption of the "Democratic Autonomous Kurdistan Model" could be a crucial step in solving the decades-old Kurdish issue.

Although the scope of the model is as wide as an independent state, as critics of the draft have said, the DTK emphasized that it neither wants to demolish the Turkish state nor wants an independent Kurdish state. A stateless model is what the draft highlights. According to the draft, which was opened up to debate on Sunday in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır among participants in a conference of key pro-Kurdish figures that included prominent academics and journalists, the proposed autonomous model would organize itself in "political, economic, cultural, social, diplomatic, legal, ecological and self-defense" branches.

"Democratic autonomy aims to democratize the [Turkish] Republic, changing the rigidity of the nation-state that does not satisfy the needs of the people of Turkey while also eliminating the impediment that the nation-state creates in front of the political, social, economic and cultural development of the people," the draft read.

Attendees discussing the draft at the conference included daily Hürriyet columnist Nuray Mert; academic Zeynep Gambetti; former National Intelligence Organization Deputy Undersecretary Cevat Öneş; journalists Cengiz Çandar, Kadri Gürsel, Ahmet İnsel and Ayhan Bilgen; and mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). DTK co-heads Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tuğluk as well as BDP President Selahattin Demirtaş were also among the attendees.

Political administration of the autonomous model would be organized from the grassroots level through "village communes, town, district and neighborhood assemblies and city assemblies," according to the draft, which said these would all be represented within an upper body named the "Society Congress."

The draft defined self-defense as "not a military monopoly," but "social resistance."

"Democratic autonomy would not cause a changing of borders but within those borders it would make stronger the fraternity and unity of people," the draft said, adding that it would start a new period for Kurdish-Turkish relations with "a new contract between Turkey and the Kurds."

The conference took place as a grenade explosion Sunday in Diyarbakır's Silvan district raised tensions in the region. According to Doğan news agency, a hand grenade exploded during a march against military operations that was attended by thousands of people. Five people, including two girls, were wounded, the agency said. Abdullah Eflatun, the provincial leader of the BDP in Silvan, claimed the hand grenade was thrown into the crowd by police officers. Following the explosion, demonstrators clashed with police, who used pressurized water and teargas to disperse the crowd.

Sabah (a news outlet) received a copy of a bold report on Kurdish problem that was presented to President Abdullah Gül by Professor Vamik Volkan.

Volkan, who is a world-renowned expert in conflict resolution, visited Çankaya Presidential Palace last week to present his report prepared by compiling 70 proposals.

The report says: "Kurdish language can be an elective course in some regions. Autonomy should be opened to debate. The Turkish oath can be given up. The sense of common nation should be developed. The concerns of Turks should be eliminated."

Israeli Officials described the call by Israeli Ambassador Gaby Levi to Turkish Ministry of Foreign affairs and Turkey's protest of Israeli-Greek Cyprus agreement on sharing of natural resources in eastern Mediterranean as "unacceptable arrogance".

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with the Hürriyet daily that Turkey was very successful in its efforts following the Israeli raid on an the Mavi Mara flotilla. Turkey is right, he said.

Al-Assad also extended support to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's project for removal of visa requirements among Turkey, Lebanon and Syria.

The government is preparing a law on "cyber threats," which was included in the National Security Policy Document after WikiLeaks disclosures.

A law has been prepared for establishment of a National Intelligence Security Board. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be chairman of the board that will take measures against electronic interventions that might endanger state security. A special security center will also be established to monitor cyber threats.

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